Wipers serve an important purpose in terms of road safety. Usually coming in pairs, in threes, or a single huge piece depending on the vehicle type or model, wipers help maintain a clean and clear view of the road ahead or behind so drivers can see better in poor weather conditions. Additionally, wipers can also be used to clear the windshield of dirt or debris.
But like any other vehicle component, wipers also need some maintenance or replacing when they’re no longer working properly. This brings to mind something; how do you know when it’s time to replace the wipers? The good thing is your vehicle can give you signs. You just have to be mindful when it does. So spend a good time with your ride, run the wipers, take a closer look, listen out, and feel for these signals.
How to know when your wipers are in need of maintenance or replacing
Grinding noise – In most cases, you’d hear grinding or squealing noises when using the wipers. This is the most common telltale sign which means the wiper blades (the long rubber thing that comes into contact with the windshield) are chipped and turning brittle.
Visible streaks or residue – In relation to that, you’d also see streaks of water or dirty residue on the windshield at each pass of the blades. Usually, this case is resolved with a thorough cleaning of the blades and the wiper assembly. But if streaks are still visible after cleaning, then it could possibly mean that the blades are in need of replacing.
Vibration – Another sign to look out for is vibration. When the wipers are on, and an unusual vibration is felt at each pass, this could mean that the blades are worn out or the entire wiper assembly is damaged.
Now that you’ve determined that your wipers are in need of replacing, how do you replace them, anyway? Fortunately for many ordinary vehicles today, the wipers are among the car parts that are still simple and easy to maintain.
How to replace wipers
Measure the old blades – Before anything else, you’ll have to know the exact length of the wiper blades specified for your car, as manufacturer specifics vary from car brand to car brand, or even from car to car. You can do this by using a ruler or a measuring tape, and note it down. If ever you’re in doubt of your measurements, you can take a picture of the wiper assembly and the car itself to show to a parts supply store to guide you to the correct wiper blade replacement
Buy new blades – After measuring the blade length, head to your nearest or most trusted auto supply store and purchase new blades. You can either show the sales person your notes, your photos, or just mention to them your vehicle make and model/variant. They should have a stock of wiper blade replacements fit for your vehicle.
Remove the old blades – Knowing how to remove old, worn out wiper blades is easy. You just need to take note of two wiper mechanism parts – the wiper arm that is attached to the windshield base and the blade assembly itself (the thing you bought from the auto supply).
Lift one of the wiper arms gently away from the windshield, taking care as it may snap back and damage the glass. Then, rotate the wiper blade perpendicular to the arm, forming a “T” shape. Locate the small release tab near the hook-like thing that secures the blade to the arm. Press this tab while sliding the blade downward to detach it. You would have removed the blade at this point. Do the same procedure on the other windshield wiper if your car has it.
If your wiper arm uses a pin rather than a hook, simply press the tab to unlock the blade assembly, then pull it away from the pin to detach. Additionally, if your car has rear window wipers, the process is the same.
Attaching new blades – Now that you’ve removed the old blades, the next step is to attach the new ones, and it’s just as easy as doing the removal process in reverse order. Just make sure to align the blade assembly to the hook and pull them in together for a secure fit. For the wipers that use pins, simply insert the pin into the hole, wait for the click to lock it in place, and you’re done. Do the process again for the other wiper and for the rear window wiper if your car has one.
Put it to the test – Turn on the wiper and row through the wiper speed levels to see if it glides smoothly onto the glass. If it’s not raining, use your window washer or splash the glass with a hose/bucket of water. If done right and if the blades are of good quality, you should be able to hear no squealing sounds, see no dirty streaks, and feel no weird vibrations.
Wipers serve an important purpose in terms of road safety. It doesn’t matter if the weather is good or bad. Having a good, well-maintained set of wipers shows the mark of a responsible car owner, and a reflection of the level of care the owner has for safety on the road.
Many cars today have a whole host of sensors to warn the driver of hazards on the road. But nothing beats a good set of human eyes to spot them ahead of time. A clear window that’s been wiped clean by a good set of wipers greatly helps.
